Friends and neighbors,
With October nearly over, we are only 10 short weeks away from the 2024 legislative session!
November is American Indian Heritage Month. In this email, I would like to share some of the important work I’m doing to promote Tribal sovereignty and protect Tribal cultural resources, share highlights of legislative support for tribal communities, and discuss the work ahead of us.
I’ve worked closely with the Yakama Nation for many years, including efforts to stop the US Department of Energy from using sacred Gable Mountain along the Columbia River as the nation’s High-Level Nuclear Waste Dump. During summers, I teach Tribal Environmental Law students in collaboration with the Yakama Nation. Inspiring a new generation in this work is as important as any law. I’m currently working with all Tribes with Treaty rights in Washington to develop a proposal to recognize their Sovereignty in the Washington State Constitution.
Our Partners in Governance
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, American Indian Heritage Month, and every day, we honor the history and perspective of Indigenous people. Washington State is home to the reservations of 29 federally recognized Tribes and 4 Tribes that have “ceded lands” with Treaty rights in Washington, with tens of thousands of people of Indigenous descent. With rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, the original inhabitants of Washington present unique experiences and perspectives that must be valued equally in policy development and governance.
I ask you to join me in acknowledging the following commitment:
Last year, we helped raise awareness of the unique challenges that Native Americans face in public safety. The legislature created the first ever Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s and People’s Alert System modeled off an Amber Alert to help combat the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. We also passed SB 5229 to accelerate rural job growth and promote economic recovery. Through site readiness grants, tribal governments will have a trusted and reliable tool for marketing and recruitment.
Some important bills that remain on the docket for 2024 include HB 1332 to support public school instruction in incorporating a tribal sovereignty curriculum and HB 1399 to establish a Native American scholarship program.
Above all, next session, the legislature must focus on being a partner in addressing tribal issues including poverty, discrimination, climate change, and lack of access to healthcare and education. Native rights are human rights, and human rights are native rights.
Recognizing Tribal Sovereignty and Protecting Tribal Cultures in Washington
Tribal cultures and the vitally important natural resources and places that are central to their preservation are constantly being eroded.
In 2022, the US Supreme Court issued a decision undermining 200 years of federal recognition of Tribal sovereignty and held that states can exercise total jurisdiction over reservations.
But Washington does not have to trample Tribal sovereignty! We can amend our State Constitution to recognize sovereignty and clearly reject the Supreme Court allowing states to claim jurisdiction over Tribal members on their reservations.
I have been meeting with Tribal governments and legal experts to discuss amending our State Constitution to honor Tribal Sovereignty and ensure that our state and local governments do not cause further harm to Tribal cultural resources. This will build on legislation enacted in 2022, which I championed to provide Tribes with a guaranteed right to participate in county and city land use decisions. These decisions often impact Tribes’ archaeological, cultural, religious, and ecological resources. In October, I had the honor of being asked to be the moderator of the NW Tribal Cultural Resources Protection Summit.
What Can the Legislature Do for You?
As we head towards the 2024 Legislative Session, I encourage you to stay involved, stay informed, and continue advocating for the issues that matter to you. Please consider sharing your own legislative priorities with me in this survey, and don’t hesitate to email me with ideas and suggestions.
You can review the work of the 2023 legislative session in my mailer and follow me on Facebook for the most up to date information.
Thank you,
Rep. Gerry Pollet
WA State Representative
46th Legislative District
Pronouns: he/him/his